Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Are you going to say something?” I asked. My mother lifted her head, then raised a brow.
I wanted to roll my eyes, but I knew if I did, I could risk one of those knitting needles wrapping me on the back of the knuckles. Oh, she’d done it before for sassing, but it never hurt. One of these days, I was bound to anger her enough, though, that she would deliver a good blow to my hand.
Turning slowly, my father leaned against the windowsill and folded his arms over his chest.
The speech was coming, I could feel it. The whole, my father's worked this land speech.
“Before I worked this land, my father worked it. And before him, my grandfather, Lawerence. This ranch has been built on sweat, tears, and a lot of hard work. It’s been passed down for three generations to the oldest son in the Wilde family, and that son has taken up that privilege with honor and pride. Now my son, the fourth in a long line of ranchers, is telling me he doesn’t want to run the ranch?”
“I’m not saying I don’t want to be a part of the ranch, Dad.”
“That’s not what you just told me. What I heard was some nonsense about going to school to get your business degree so you could open up a fun store.”
“A sporting goods store,” my mother corrected.
With a huff, my father replied, “That’s what I said.”
“Dad, getting a business degree will be good for the ranch as well. I could work on the finance side of it. Mom’s been saying she would like a break from the books. I could take over that for her.”
“And who would run the ranch?”
I exhaled. “I do have three other brothers. You know how much David loves this ranch and has wanted to help you run it. And the only thing Mike ever wants to do is show you how much he wants to be just like you. If it were up to Jason, he’d live in the barn with the cattle.”
My mother chuckled, and my father fought to hide a smile.
“You’re the first son, Ladd. Your place is next to me, running this ranch.”
“I’ll always be next to you, Dad, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make this ranch successful, but I have my own set of dreams.”
He let a soft chuckle. “I guess that’s fair, considering my dream has always been this ranch.”
I knew my father better than anyone. He lived for this ranch. It was the first thing he thought of when he woke up, and the last thing he thought of when his head hit the pillow. My mother had confirmed it multiple times.
“Did you ever have any other dreams other than running the ranch?” I asked, knowing he never did.
“I could have.”
“And would you have wanted at least the chance to pursue them?”
My father glanced over to my mother, who simply raised those eyebrows again. She was the only woman I knew who could convey her thoughts through her facial expressions.
“And when this dream of owning a store falls through, then what? I don’t want to see you struggle, Ladd.”
I shrugged. “Then it wasn’t meant to be, and I’ll return to the ranch if you’ll have me.”
He huffed once again. “You know I would never turn any of my kids away.”
Leaning forward, I looked between both of my parents. “I’m not walking away from the ranch. I’m still going to be a part of it, I just want to have something that I love as much as you love this ranch, Dad. Give me two years after I graduate. If I don’t have my store…a successful store…then I’ll come back to the ranch full time.”
Dad pushed off the windowsill and walked my way. When he got closer to me, I stood and held my breath.
This is it.
My father could easily tell me he wouldn’t pay for my college education and that I would have to figure it out on my own. Instead, he nodded and held out his hand.
“Two years, Ladd. From this day forward, you’ve got six years. If I know my own blood, I know you’ll make a success out of it, though.”
I smiled and reached for his hand. After a firm handshake, I looked between both of them. “I promise you, you won’t regret this. I know you won’t.”
My mother smiled, then stood. She made her way over to me and hugged me. “You’ll make both of us proud, I just know it.”
When she let me go, my father winked. “Just do me one favor.”
“Anything,” I replied.
“For the love of all things, do not fall in love while at college.”
I laughed. “Trust me, Dad, I have no intentions of falling in love during college.”
##
Three years later – Colorado State University
“If you stare at her any harder, she’s going to think you’re stalking her,” my brother David laughed. He was a freshman this year and had fit right in with my friends, even though they were all juniors.